Chocolate Yule Logs are a Christmas time treat in Ireland and a baking tradition in many Irish homes, that started many, many years ago to remember a very old tradition.

Christmas Chocolate Yule Logs are baked as a more modern representation of the enormous logs once burned in the open hearth all through the Christmas season.

This historical practice of burning a Yule log is thought to be an old Norse tradition or it could also be Germanic in origin.

Viking Norsemen may have brought this tradition to England and Ireland. The word Yule became part of old English, although the word has Scandinavian roots. Yule was the Scandinavian word for the Winter solstice.

A Chocolate Yule Log may have first been created in France where it is called a “Bûche de Noël.”

Over the past two centuries this dessert has become popular in many European countries. In Belgium it is known as a ‘Kerststronk’ which is a Flemish word.

A Christmas Chocolate Yule Log consists of a chocolate sponge roll, filled with sweetened cream, and covered in chocolate butter cream frosting or icing. The outside is marked with a fork to resemble a bark-covered log.

And so today, I thought I would share my Christmas Yule Log recipe, with step-by-step photographic instructions.

Here’s what you’ll need…

Ingredients for Christmas Chocolate Yule Log:

For sponge roll:

3 eggs (separated)

pinch of salt

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of cake flour

1/8 cup of cocoa powder

1 teaspoon of baking powder

For the filling:

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar

For the icing or frosting:

4 oz or 1 stick of butter

1 and 3/4 cup of powdered or confectioners’ sugar

1/8 cup of cocoa powder

2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream

To decorate: (optional)

confectioners’ sugar

red berries such as cranberries or raspberries

Directions for Christmas Chocolate Yule Log:

First the sponge roll must be made, so go ahead and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

This sponge is cooked at a high heat for a short time. The higher temperature helps the whipped egg batter to rise.

Prepare a swiss roll or jelly roll pan by greasing it and lining the bottom with a layer of parchment or greaseproof paper.

You will need a 9 x 13 inch pan, which is a little smaller than the standard jelly roll pans most frequently used in the United. States.

Next, separate the eggs and put the yolks to one side.

Place the egg whites in a large clean dry bowl if using a hand held electric mixer, or in the bowl of a standing electric mixer.

It is important that the bowl is completely clean and dry if the eggs are to incorporate air as they are whipped.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites. Beat until the mixture is stiff.

It will be a little dry looking in ap­pearance. It takes a few minutes of beating to add an adequate amount of air to the egg whites.

Next, add the sugar and continue beating. The mixture will become thick and glossy looking.

Beat in the egg yolks with the whipped egg whites.

The mixture will become a very pale yellow color and will be thick enough that the beater will leave a trail in the batter when removed from the bowl.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together in a separate bowl.

This recipe calls for 1 US teaspoon of baking powder which is a scant level teaspoon in Ireland.

Add half the flour mixture and gently fold it into the egg mixture with a metal spoon.

Add the remaining flour, baking powder and cocoa powder mixture and continue to gently incorporate it into the egg mixture.

Be sure to lift the egg mixture at the bottom of the bowl as you fold, ensuring there are no air pockets filled with flour that could be left unincorporated into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared swiss roll or jelly roll pan and spread it evenly.

Be sure to move the batter into the corners of the pan.

Bake it on the top shelf of the preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.

Lay a sheet of parchment or baking or greaseproof paper on the counter. Sprinkle it with a light dusting of fine white sugar.

This sugar prevents the sponge from sticking to the paper as it cools in the shape of a roll.

When the cake is baked it will be a rich brown color and spongy to touch.

Turn the baked sponge roll onto the sugar dusted paper.

Remove the lining paper.

Trim the outside longer edges of the sponge with a sharp knife.

This makes it easier to roll the sponge.

Roll the cake up with the paper inside.

You start the roll from the shorter width ways edge, not the longer side.

Leave to cool wrapped in the paper.

When the cake has cooled, whip the cream with two tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar to sweeten.

Carefully unwrap the rolled sponge, and fill it with cream.

Gently re-roll the filled sponge.

Next, the butter cream frosting or icing must be prepared. This can also be done while the sponge cake is cooling.

Sift the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar together in a bowl.

Add the butter and beat well until the mixture starts to lighten in color.

Add two tablespoons of heavy whipping cream to the frosting and continue to beat with an electric mixer for another 3 to 4 mintues.

Before spreading the icing over the outside of the log, you can create a branch like effect with your chocolate roll.

Cut a diagonal piece from one end of your log and place it to the side of the main piece.

Spread the chocolate frosting over the outside of the main log and its branch, joining the two pieces together with frosting.

Using a fork, mark the frosting with lines to give the effect of tree bark.

Don’t worry about keeping the lines exactly parallel. The more imperfect the finish, the more realistic looking the cake will be.

If desired, decorate the top with cranberries or raspberries.

Dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar which resembles snow.

And there you have it – my recipe for a favorite Irish Christmastime cake.

When I was a little girl in Ireland I loved when my mom set our Christmas pudding alight. Our annual pyrotechnic show was achieved quite simply, using a candle, a metal spoon, a dollop of brandy and one piping hot plum pudding.

Lighting a plum pudding is accomplished using brandy, whiskey or rum. I like brandy best. For me, the residual cognac flavor on top of the pudding is decadent.

I know I should be using Irish whiskey – I am Irish after all. However, an old family legend claims I might be a 31st cousin of the Hennessy who left Ireland and started the famous cognac brand. The connection is through my County Limerick born granny.

And that’s my brandy loving excuse – there’s a slight possibility my affinity for cognac may be hereditary, but that’s a story for another day.

So let’s get back to lighting this pudding with my favorite spirit, brandy.

Choose a large metal spoon. Not your best spoon please. The candle may cause the bottom of the spoon to turn black. This carbonation is easily scrubbed away afterwards.

Add enough brandy to fill the spoon three-quarter ways full. Leave a small gap between the top of the brandy and the rim of the spoon.

Warning! Do not use a plastic spoon. It will melt.

Hold the spoon over a lighted candle flame. Hold it for a few minutes until the brandy heats up. If you wish to speed up this process you can pre-heat the spoon in a cup of hot water, but make sure to dry it completely before adding the brandy.

Once the brandy is hot it will start to steam and convection currents will be visible in the golden liquid.

To set it alight, you simply tip the top of the spoon into the candle flame and the booze will alight, burning with a bluish flame.

Move the flaming spoon over the pudding and pour it on top.

Now the pudding must be piping hot. This will not work with a cold pudding.

Ensure you have removed any decorative toppings from the pudding, before setting it on fire. Melted plastic or singed holly does not add anything to a plum pudding’s flavor.

Move the spoon away from the flames.

You can have a cup of water ready to quench the flaming spoon if you wish, but I just blow on it to stop it burning.

Turn out the lights and admire the bright blue flames of your Christmas light show.

The alcohol will burn off the top of the pudding, so once it stops flaming you’re ready to serve your traditional Christmas treat.

Remember you choose to light your pudding at your own risk. This technique is probably not endorsed by any fire department anywhere. So take care when working with open flames. Feel free to have a fire extinguisher at the ready, especially for any enormous puddings. 🙂 🙂